I want my students to leave my classroom with a deeply ingrained mindset that, with hard work and grit, they can study anything of interest and follow any career path. As such, I try to open the doors to the world of Biology to each of them.
Our school is a 1500-student comprehensive Title I public high school that serves a diverse population of students in the Oakland Unified School District.
Our demographics are roughly 30% African-American, 30% Asian and Pacific Islander and 30% Latino. Slightly above 88% of our students receive free or reduced-priced lunch. The District has traditionally struggled to provide consistent quality science instruction across the district. Only 49% of students score proficient or advanced in science on statewide-standardized assessments.
My students are inquisitive and eager. When they are given the opportunity to engage in authentic scientific practices, they are able to see themselves as scientists, and more fully realize what options they may have in the sciences in the future.
My Project
These materials will allow my students to engage with Biology like a true scientist. When students design their own experiments, they must apply their previous knowledge, identify and fill the gaps in their knowledge, and apply their learning in the development process. When they implement their experiment, they see first hand both the accuracies and inaccuracies of their thinking. When they analyze the results, they develop new mental frameworks and models,
Providing these critical learning opportunities requires scientific tools and reagents.
Specifically the materials I am requesting will allow my students to do authentic investigations in molecular biology. The gloves, gel electrophoresis boxes, and buffers will allow us to do real forensic biology during our genetics and biotechnology unit. In the past students have planned experiments like testing fish to find out if restaurants are serving you the fish they claim to or testing their own allele for the lactase enzyme.
Science comes alive when you engage with it directly.
My students learn the most when they design, implement, and evaluate their own experiments. Student-directed experimentation also allows them to really internalize their learning because it resulted directly from their hard work. For my students, engaging in science in this way opens eyes and opens doors to the abundance of options that further study and/or future careers in the sciences can provide.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Steakley and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.